Razi Journal of Medical Sciences

    Background & Aim: Occlusion of organs artery results in ischemia and the opening of occluded artery leads to tissue lesion identified as reperfusion injury(RI). Oxygen-derived free radicals seem to be involved in the reperfusion injury. In this experimental study the effects of 5-aminosalicylic acid(5-ASA), a prescribed drug for ulcerative colitis, was assessed. 5-ASA is a potent scavenger of oxygen-derived free radicals in the RI of the kidney in a uninephrectomized rat model. Materials & Methods: Male Wistar rats of 200-250g were pretreated with 5-ASA(300mg/kg). Ischemia-reperfusion(IR) injury was induced by left renal artery clipping for 45 min plus 24 or 48h reperfusion, while the right kidney was being removed. After 24 or 48h of IR injury, creatinine and nitric oxide(NO) levels in serum and urine, as the main parameters for evaluating of renal function, were determined. Results: After 24h of IR injury, 5-ASA(300mg/kg) not only obviously increased the levels of serum creatinine but also decreased the content of urinary creatinine and serum nitric oxide compard with the control group(P<0.05-0.0001). Whereas after 48h of IR injury, 5-ASA(300mg/kg) had no obvious effects on these parameters. Conclusion: 5-ASA(300mg/kg) used I.P 24h prior to the initiation of RI, in a time-dependent manner, induced nephrotoxicity. Further studies on renal biopsy, laboratory findings and immunofluorescence microscopy for assessment of mechanisms involved in 5-ASA renal toxicity is suggested.